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Charlotte Mandrup

Author of Mindfulness i hverdagen

9 Works 21 Members 3 Reviews

Works by Charlotte Mandrup

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Common Knowledge

Gender
female
Nationality
Denmark

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Reviews

I don't usually read thrillers these days, I'd never heard of the concept "corporate thriller" and am not very interested in the business world.

Nevertheless, I found this book to be enjoyable and absorbing, it being a "different" sort of thriller portraying a group of people dedicated to eliminating unethical methods in the corporate world.

The main characters on the side of "good" are Francis, Jo and Dhammakarati. Francis, a charming man born to wealth but with a murky family background, has made it his life work to combat greed and corruption in big business. To this end he has built up an expert team of fellow-collaborators. Jo, his friend and lover, is his main accomplice; she is a master of disguise, trained in the ancient martial art of bando, skilled in meditation and possessing immense self-discipline and emotional control (mostly). She is the one chosen for the most demanding and dangerous missions. Dhammakarati is Jo's dear friend, a Buddhist warrior monk.

The main adversaries of this righteous band are the ruthlessly ambitious Schwartz and his murderously cold associate de Lingua.

The action spans the world - Copenhagen, London, New York and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

One of the interesting features of the book is the insight provided into the monastic world, the quiet disciplined life of daily meditation. One of the themes, though I feel it could have been elaborated on, is the dichotomy between the spiritual ideals and aims of the protagonists and the necessity of carrying out forcible measures. The very concept of a warrior monk exemplifies this dichotomy.

The book is on the whole extremely well-written, though there a few typos and the like, and it thus could have done with more efficient editing. The author has a gift for physical description and her main characters are psychologically realistic. Perhaps certain aspects of the plot and characterization could have been more fully developed.

The book is thought-provoking, since we are left with the question: "Are Francis and his team actually any better than their opponents or are they by their actions merely generating `bad karma'?"
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IonaS | 2 other reviews | Jun 9, 2011 |
Take a step into the jungle of concrete in New York City and move on to the mysterious twilight in the forests surrounding the Buddhist temples. Charlotte Mandrup has done an extraordinary job writing this corporate thriller - a story of powerful people fighting with different means and goals. On one side we follow the intelligent businessman who fights for good karma with his ‘army’ of special trained monks and fighters. On the other side we see the bad guy, a top lawyer who wants to take control of one of the world’s most powerful businesses – whatever it takes. The story is compelling and intense with a refreshing shift in scenes and moral dilemmas. The plot is carefully thought out; the descriptions and characters innovative - although they could be more vivid and specific.… (more)
 
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Mortenvoss | 2 other reviews | May 25, 2011 |
When Karma is Corrupt is a well-written thriller which takes you through the high speed business life of New York City to the temples of Buddhist monks. Charlotte Mandrup creates an exciting and eventful story about the battle between the good and the bad – in a corporate perspective. She combines the hidden rules from the battlefield of the world’s businessmen with the clarity and mental power of the kind-hearted monks. Two worlds which – in combat – can be a dangerous explosion of power and intelligence. Even though some of the chapters could need further explanation, the plot is well-structured, adventurous, innovative and full of action.… (more)
 
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Caroline30 | 2 other reviews | May 25, 2011 |

Statistics

Works
9
Members
21
Popularity
#570,576
Rating
½ 4.3
Reviews
3
ISBNs
7
Languages
2